Foundation Delegation Programme 2024 (2024)

It’s that time of year again! Following a very successful first cycle of the cheqd Delegation Programme, we are running it again. As some highlights of the innovations from the previous cycle, we have seen the development of our Governance Dashboard from the team at Rockaway, integration into Paradym from the team at Animo, integration into GoDiddy from Danube Tech, relayer nodes from Blockval and Decali, funding for a hackathon from DoraHacks, and ongoing community proposals, engagement and support from the cheqd Community DAO (cCDAO).To continue building momentum and encourage further innovation on-top of cheqd, we are restarting our cheqd Foundation Delegation programme. This programme is once again intended to:

1. Reward Validators that build with and alongside cheqd, incentivising innovation and collaboration;
2. Develop closer relationships between our Validator ecosystem and the cheqd Delegator community;
3. Increase network decentralisation and Entropy in line with our Governance Framework;
4. Bolster the health and security of the cheqd Validator set, with greater incentives for node maintenance, engagement and expansion.

By rewarding contributors to the cheqd network and good network maintenance, the purpose is to create a virtuous cycle, where constructive participation in the network leads to higher rewards, which in turn encourages further participation.

To be considered for the cheqd delegation programme, Validators must actively contribute to the growth of the cheqd ecosystem. Contributions can be made in at least one of the following areas:

1. Technical:
   • • Contributions to cheqd’s identity functionality: Validators who have contributed to cheqd’s existing identity functionality, such as SDKs, DID method, DID resolver, DID-Linked Resources, are given preference in the delegation programme.
     • Building on top of cheqd’s identity functionality: Validators who have built applications or services that complement cheqd’s identity functionality, such as wallets and credential storage.
     • Use of cheqd’s identity functionality: Validators who use cheqd’s identity functionality in their operations, such as utilising cheqd’s SDKs for Verifiable Credentials or creds.xyz. Use of cheqd’s identity functionality also burns $CHEQ tokens from supply and therefore may be prioritised.
     • Contributions or support with cheqd infrastructure: Validators who have supported or contributed to cheqd’s infrastructure, such as IBC relays, network indexing/explorer services, integrations into Dapps, UI or other Web3 or Cosmos functionality.
2. Community:
   • • Supporting other validators: Validators who support other validators by sharing knowledge, providing technical assistance, and collaborating on community initiatives.
     • Creating educational content: Validators who create educational content, such as tutorials, guides, and video content, help to onboard new users to the cheqd ecosystem and promote its use and adoption.
     • Building community: Validators who work to build community by organising events, hosting meetups, and fostering discussion and collaboration among users and validators.
     • Onboarding delegators: Validators who actively work to onboard new delegators to the cheqd ecosystem help to grow and strengthen the network.
     • Community Governance: Validators who have contributed to projects selected by a community vote or community pool spend are also given preference in the cheqd delegation programme
     • Other initiatives: Validators who engage in other initiatives that help grow and engage the cheqd community, such as participating in hackathons, creating new tools and resources, and collaborating with other blockchain projects, are highly valued in the cheqd delegation programme. These initiatives demonstrate a commitment to the growth and sustainability of the cheqd ecosystem and help to position the network for long-term success.
3. Participation:
   • • History of participation: Validators who have a history of participating in both the cheqd mainnet and testnet are given preference in the delegation programme. This demonstrates a commitment to the network and a track record of supporting the ecosystem.
     • Governance participation: Validators who have a record of governance participation, such as voting on proposals and engaging in discussions about network upgrades and improvements, are also given preference in the delegation programme. This demonstrates a willingness to engage in the governance process and contribute to the decision-making that shapes the network’s future.
       Validators who do not participate in cheqd governance risk delegations being moved to validators who do. This will be at the sole discretion of the foundation.
     • Communication and transparency: Validators who prioritise communication and transparency with their delegators are highly valued in the delegation programme. This includes providing regular updates about network performance, sharing technical details about the node’s operation, and being responsive to questions and concerns from delegators.
     • Jailed Validators: If a Validator has been jailed, meaning they have not been able to validate on cheqd due to financial reasons or otherwise, they may still be considered for delegation. However, they must demonstrate a commitment to maintaining the health of their node, even if they are not able to actively participate in validation. This could include keeping the software up-to-date, monitoring the node’s health, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.
4. Reputation:
   1. • Uptime: Validators with a strong uptime record, which avoid slashing events, and run up-to-date software on cheqd.
      • Reputation: Validators with a strong record of running Validators across other top networks with healthy maintenance and uptime.
      • Creds: Of course, any Validator that can provide Creds attesting to this will be viewed more favourably, either through using Creds Studio or as a recipient in Creds App.

• July 26 — application forms open
• September 26 — application deadline for Cycle 2 delegations
• July – September — selected validator participants will be notified and delegations from Cycle 1 will begin being rotated.

To apply for the Delegation programme, you will need to fill out the application form below:

🟢 Click this link to access the application form